Methods for producing a flat (flake form) metal powder such as Ni particles, which have excellent mass production productivity, include a method for producing a metal powder disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-328270).
This method for producing a metal powder uses electroless plating, and includes the following steps:
1) providing a mold release layer on the surface of a substrate;
2) providing and activating a catalyst on the surface of the mold release layer;
3) generating an electroless plating film through contact with an electroless plating solution;
4) bringing the substrate with the electroless plating film into contact with a catalyst to dissolve and remove the mold release, and thereby separate the electroless plating film from the substrate; and
5) grinding the separated electroless plating film to obtain a metal powder.
The production method produces a metal powder of 0.01 to 0.5 μm in thickness and 1 to 300 μm in diameter.
For example, Ni particles produced by the method for producing a metal powder disclosed in Patent Document 1 are flat in shape and thin. Thus, when the Ni particles are used for internal electrodes of a laminated ceramic electronic component, the internal electrodes can be reduced in layer thickness.